9 Words Women Use

This is so true it is a bit scary...Thanks Ashley for this awesome daily dilly...

(1) Fine: This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up.

(2) Five Minutes: If she is getting dressed, this means a half an hour. Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given five more minutes to watch the game before helping around the house.

(3) Nothing: This is the calm before the storm. This means something, and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with nothing usually end in fine.

(4) Go Ahead: This is a dare, not permission. Don't Do It!

(5) Loud Sigh: This is actually a word, but is a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men. A loud sigh means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you about nothing. (Refer back to # 3 for the meaning of nothing.)

(6) That's Okay: This is one of the most dangerous statements a women can make to a man. That's okay means she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.

(7) Thanks: A woman is thanking you, do not question, or Faint. Just say you're welcome. (I want to add in a clause here -This is true, unless she says 'Thanks a lot' - that is PURE sarcasm and she is not thanking you at all. DO NOT say 'you're welcome' ... that will bring on a 'whatever').

(8) Whatever: Is a women's way of saying #*%@-YOU!

(9) Don't worry about it, I got it: Another dangerous statement, meaning this is something that a woman has told a man to do several times, but is now doing it herself. This will later result in a man asking 'What's wrong?'For the woman's response refer to # 3.

"There's a First Time For Everything"

Wish I could say today's practice ROCKED....but I can't...It didn't...Not even close...

I woke up feeling a little queasy, tummy ache and all - but since that has been such a common trend for me as of recent I thought nothing of it..

Got to my mat and focused intensely on my breath and as much as possible on my poor bandhas...Started feeling better by the time I got to Supta Vajrasana...But that 'better' feeling didn't seem to last too long...As I was finishing Tittibhasana I felt the most intense wave of nausea envelope me...I tried to gracefully complete the posture before running off to the ladies locker room to pay my most humble respects to the porcelain gods. We won't talk about how miserable that was...I had had a little orange juice before practice so that was in my belly but nothing else, it didn't matter - I was puking for a good two minutes (SORRY for the graphics guys).

This was a new experience for me...never gotten sick in the middle of practice at the shala before!

As I collected myself in the corner of the locker room I debated if I should go grab my yoga mat and run back to the locker room, or should I try to finish my practice to the best of my ability? Something inside said, "Krista this is your LAST mysore practice in the shala til January....Suck it up woman, get out there and finish your practice!" So I did....but it was pathetic! I didn't have the strength in me needed for Pincha and Karandavasana and Mayurasana and Backbends. Without my contacts or glasses I truly see outlines of people and things, but I sensed that Sharath and Saraswati realized I wasn't feeling tip top today...When backbend time approached I again debated about doing assisted dropbacks or simply doing three lil backbends and running off before Sharath or Saraswati could get their hands on me...but I again decided I could 'man up' this time...Sharath pushed me, but not too hard today - and he seemed to understand I was not feeling well - plus I'm sure it shocked them both that I didn't spend twenty minutes on Karandavasana - I finished my practice about twenty minutes sooner than usual so I assume they knew I wasn't digging it today...

"No Dreaming"

I typically spend around 3-5 minutes working on dropping back and coming up before Sharath or Saraswati make their way to my mat to put my hands around my quadriceps and tell me to straighten my legs...When I'm working on my dropbacks I'll come up and take a few breaths before dropping back down again - and sometimes I zone out a bit and sort of stare off into never never land - this happens pretty often because 1) I don't wear my contacts to practice so I can't see JACK ...., 2) by the time I'm at backbends I'm ultra worn out, and 3) dropping back and coming up over and over and over again isn't only exhausting, it is also a bit dizzying at times.

Today in the midst of my backbending 'ritual' I came up from a backbend and stood breathing at the top of my mat zoning off into the wall in front of me...I was chillin, minding my own bandhas, and I heard Sharath's voice; "No dreaming...........KRISTA, no dreaming!" Slightly startled I snapped out of my daze and looked over at Sharath with a giant smile on my face - and I then proceeded to do some more dropbacks before Sharath came over to me and preformed the wooo-haaa maneuver on me...So what is that? After he drops me back three times he takes my left hand to my knee, then my right...then moves my left to my quad, then my right...then proceeds to tell me to straighten my legs - and once I do he removes his hands from my waist and steps back away from me...this is topped off with a small gasp and smile when I lift up to standing position and ever so gingerly bring my body to the floor for forward bend. The wooo-haaa is followed by the squash, whereby Sharath lays on my back and pulls my flexed feet towards my face. As he's finishing the squash he always calls out for "one more."

So It Isn't That My Butt Is Too Large ;)

I've been working on Karandavasana for a little over a year...I always joke that I can't lift up because I'm too bottom heavy :) Well guess who lifted their asana out of Karandavasana today? Yes ma'am that'd be me ;) So I guess bottom heavy theory was incorrect- it was just a matter of practice, practice, practice.

I spend at least ten minutes each day coming into Karandavasana over and over and over again. I've been only working on coming down into my triceps and then attempting, with all my might, to lift up. Yesterday I began dividing my focus: 1) coming all the way down into my tripceps and trying to come up; 2) coming just above my armpits and then lifting myself back into Pincha Mayurasana and then down into Chaturanga. You would not believe how much of a difference this has made for me. Today I continued in this fashion for about twenty minutes. And I was able, more than once, to come down to touch my armpit and then lift back up! Incredible!!!!

I still have a long way to go before mastering Karandavasana - i.e. being able to really settle into my triceps and then lift up and float down, but this is BIG man ;) About a year ago I thought Karandavasana was an impossibility for me. But I continue to learn, in many different ways, that Guruji is always right; practice, practice, practice - all is coming :)

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After my delicious practice I met Cara at Tina's for breakfast. And I might add that today's breakfast seemed like the best I'd ever had...After fueling up I spent the next hour or so dealing with shipping - oh my goodness what a headache! That done Miss Elise and I rode via her scooty to the Southern Star for some much needed sun therapy - it was simply glorious!!! After my sun bathing, I came home, grubed down, napped, and waited for Miss Cara to pick me up so we could venture to the city to the Ganapati Ashram to enjoy their evening Bhajan. I must say I couldn't have asked for a better day! I'm off to la la land - sweet dreams all!

Friends

This little treasure is compliments of Tracy! Thank you my friend ;)

Friends are like butt cheeks.

Crap might separate them at times, But they always come back together

Home Stretch

I'm in my final week in Mysore before heading to Scotland...Am I excited to go? You betcha!!! I'm now in the final phase of my journey here in India, the place where I've accepted I'm leaving, making final preparations and last minute errands, and am extremely ready to get on the plane to my next destination. It feels good to be here - don't like the phase before this one where I'm like, "what the ????" So I have spent the majority of last week figuring out what it is I need to get done before I leave, spent all of yesterday doing many of those things, and will continue in the same manner today through Friday. Should be all set and ready to roll by Thursday afternoon though, which will feel so sweet!

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Here's The Scoop on Conference:

Sharath started Conference with a few questions: "What is Yoga?" "What is this practice?"
He spoke in great detail about Parampara, which means the Lineage of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga. He re-caped the history of this practice and how important it is to keep the Parampara sacred - to keep true to the teachings of our teachers - to keep this practice PURE! He then went on to discuss the duty of the student to repay the teacher for all that your guru has bestowed upon you. It is not necessarily in the form of money - could be a number of things - but the important thing is that the student should do something. Krishnamacharya's teacher asked that he go out and teach this knowledge he learned to others throughout India. Had Krishnamacharya not stayed true to the teachings of his teacher, and Guruji done the same, none of us would be here today to enjoy the benefits of this practice.

Sharath spoke about how the bond between the teacher and the student used to be SO STRONG! But nowadays things are different...Many senior teachers of Ashtanga Yoga do not teach the same method they were taught by Guruji, instead they teach their own method.
"If your teacher is not strict, if he tries to please you.....you used to have to show your dedication...nowadays teachers are trying to attract students. How in 100 years things will change. Knowledge is important...Trust your Guru."

Sharath speaks often about the need to keep learning and growing. We must learn and study more. Regardless of if you teach yoga or have another profession, yoga should be your spiritual practice. No matter, get up early in the morning and do your practice - then the whole day will be wonderful - this practice will change your life.

Yogasana is so powerful, you can misuse it also...use this practice properly - let it change your mind, your attitude, in a good way. "It changes your life, that is my personal experience."

Many people make many mistakes if life, and we must learn from them and not do them again.

First, you should have faith in this practice - it can cure all kinds of diseases. We should have faith in our teacher also - your teachers energy will transform you and your practice.

So, this lineage, this practice we do, we should take it and learn.

Something has connected us practitioners to this institute - something has brought us here to learn....Follow this truth and be true to it!

If your mind isn't pure, your body isn't pure...when you practice yoga your mind becomes very strong...

"WE SHOULD ALWAYS TRY TO GO TOWARDS THE DIRECTION THAT IS TRUE!"

When the mind if pure you can achieve all of your goals.

"The two hours per day that you do asana practice - thinking of nothing - it might just change your whole life."

After conference we were had guest speakers from Pratham Mysore, which is an organization nationwide that seeks to educate children. for more information please visit http://www.prathammysore.org/ - they want every child to be able to go to school and learn well. They typically visit the poorer sections of the community to reach out and help.

Don't Sing to Your Wife

Another funny from Mama ;)

Ha ha ha

Some hilarious stuff from Canada - Enjoy!

Todays Ramblings

I just returned from practice and jumped online to check my emails - my mama has sent me several beautiful quotes - love it when she helps start my day with inspiration.

My mama said, "I feel this quote is so you and you will identify with it." I think she is right ;)
"From my earliest youth, I have known that while one is obliged to plan with care the stage of one's journey, one is entitled to dream, and keep dreaming, of its destination.
-Shimon Peres

"A guiding operational principle in my life [is that]...if frustrated in one's endeavor by a stone wall or any kind of blockage, one must find a way around--another route toward one's goal."
-E. Margaret Burbidge

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I'm keeping all my friends and family in Florida in my prayers - tropical storm Faye is still causing a little trouble on the coast. Everyone stay dry and be careful....I spoke to Sasha and Kwang yesterday and all was alright - just a heck of a lot of rain - luckily the tropical storm didn't turn into something more destructive.

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Here's The Scoop on Nysa Yoga Bags:

My new Yoga Bags are ready! I am so excited because they turned out so beautiful....the bag construction is the same but this years bags feature new colors and Saree's and also now feature metal hardware.

I'm posting pictures below - there are four styles and only ten of each style were made. They are going fast so if you want one of these beautiful bags for yourself or as a gift please let me know in the next three days - I will need to ship them from Mysore to you before heading to Scotland. And remember if you want more detailed information about these bags please visit http://www.nysayoga.com/

Last days in Mysore

Yes I'm alive....Been extremely busy here in Mysore this last week, but also not quite in the mindset to write...Last week was one of those weeks where I just existed. I get into a funk sometimes when I have toooo much on my plate - I go completely blank and cannot seem to do anything...Since I knew this was the theme of my week - I respected it and embraced it - and only did what was absolutely necessary each day. Knowing that this little phase would pass I didn't beat myself up TOO much over my lack of attendance to, or neglect of THE REST OF MY LIFE. Phase is past me - productivity is in the air this week - nice to be back to me ;)

So I leave in like eleven days - getting really excited - and now pas the point in my trip where I am sad to leave Mysore - I am now in that mental place where I'm getting uber excited to make my way to Scotland ;) Always works like this though - a process: Denial of the end of your trip approaching, sadness over realization of end of your trip approaching, acceptance of the end of your trip approaching, excitement bursts forth over the end of your trip approaching...same same but different each time. SO that is where I am now - excited to be heading someplace new - but also extremely overwhelmed by all that must be done in such a short amount of time - that is how I ended up in "the mental landfill" last week....the place you find yourself when it is truly impossible to sift through and sort out your own stuff.

Life is busy here in the 'Sore...As always I suppose. This week is already flying by it seems - here it is Tuesday night just before bed and my entire Wednesday is full up with appointments and classes, which means I will take in a few breaths and it will be Thursday - another jam packed day, followed by Friday that too is full up....So when do I pack? When do I send out parcels that need to be attended to? When do I finalize money stuff here with my house, dance teacher, etc? When do I send out all the necessary emails to people in Scotland, America, and elsewhere around the world that I need to contact before heading to my next destination? When do I say my goodbyes? When do I take that day trip to Melkote with my friend Jonathon? When do I pay this months bills in America? When do I make the time to write this months articles for living Mysore magazine? When do I make the time to sit down and spend one last evening or afternoon with Tina? When do I dance my last dance with my friends? This is the stuff that made my mind enter the 'mental landfill" last week. Why oh why can't there be more hours in each day? Guess it doesn't matter much b/c if there were anymore time in the day I'd surely use it to take a nap!

Good night all :)

Mrs. Hughes

OMG - soooo funny! Enjoy!

Thanks mama ;)

THE SWITCH

Another lovely from my mama.....ENJOY - I DID!!!

A man was sick and tired of going to work every day while his wife stayed home. He wanted her to see what he went through, so he prayed:'Dear Lord: I go to work every day and put in 8 hours while my wife merely stays at home. I want her to know what I go through. So, please allow her body to switch with mine for a day. Amen!' God, in his infinite wisdom, granted the man's wish. The next morning, sure enough, the man awoke as a woman. He arose, cooked breakfast for his mate, awakened the kids, set out their school clothes, fed them breakfast, packed their lunches, drove them to school, came home and picked up the dry cleaning, took it to the cleaners and stopped at the bank to make a deposit, went grocery shopping, then drove home to put away the groceries, paid the bills and balanced the check book. He cleaned the cat's litter box and bathed the dog. Then, it was already 1P.M. And he hurried to make the beds, do the laundry, vacuum, dust, and sweep and mop the kitchen floor. Ran to the school to pick up the kids and got into an
argument with them on the way home. Set out milk and cookies and got the kids organized to do their homework. Then, set up the ironing board and watched TV while he did the ironing. At 4:30 he began peeling potatoes and washing vegetables for salad, breaded the chops and snapped fresh beans for supper. After supper, He cleaned the kitchen, ran the dishwasher, folded laundry, bathed the kids, and put them to bed. At 9 P.M . he was exhausted and, though his daily chores weren't finished, he went to bed where he was expected to make love, which he managed to get through without complaint. The next morning, he awoke and immediately knelt by the bed and said: -'Lord, I don't know what I was thinking. I was so wrong to envy my wife's being able to stay home all day. Please, oh! Oh! Please, let us trade back. Amen!'The Lord, in his infinite wisdom, replied: 'My son, I feel you have learned your lesson and I will be happy to change things back to the way they were. You'll just have to wait nine months, though. You got pregnant last night.'

Beautiful Quote

The self is made, not given. It is a creative and active process of attending a life that must be heard, shaped, seen, said aloud into the world, finally enacted and woven into the lives of others.

Barbara Myerhoff

Oh Happy Day :)

Today is a true gift from the gods, in comparison to yesterday...Still with tummy trouble but FAR less severe than yesterday, don't have body aches anymore - instead they have been replaced by a wicked sore throat. So then, why is today a gift from the gods you may ask?
1) Feeling better is feeling better, no matter how you slice it ;)
2) Had a lovely practice this morning - tummy behaved and body was without aches - and best of all - I had a breakthrough with Karandavasana and Mayurasana today!!! Via practice, practice, practice I am gaining more and more control in coming down into my triceps - and in Mayurasana I finally realized (duh) that I need to be squeezing myself together from my toes up to mula bandha and then start to lift my legs in the air - one of those ah ha moments - followed by a doh....
3) I finally have a washing machine - one of the glorious wonders of the world in my opinion - been waiting almost three weeks for this beauty and she has arrived - spent several hours happily catching up on my laundry this am - oh the little things - the little things I tell you! Although my maid has returned from the abyss and will be here this evening to clean, I simply could not resist using my lil old used washing machine myself ;)
4) Got a phone call from my mama for the first time this trip ;) so nice to chat with her for a while...And she told me she's gonna send me a package - although it will have to go to Scotland since I'm leaving India so soon ;(
5) I'm gonna have visitors in Scotland :) Sasha and Kwang, and possibly Liz, are gonna come visit with me during my four months in Scotland - makes me SOOOOO happy :)

Oh oh happy day ;)

Diarrhea

How much do you love the headline???? Awesome right!

My day started at 2am this morning...I awoke abruptly with an intense and speedy NEED to run to the toilet...Yes, another batch of diarrhea...It seems to happen about once per week this year in Mysore. Not a clue as to why I've got it this time...but it has been lingering with me ALL DAY LONG...I felt so sick and achy this morning - went from the bed to the bathroom and back numerous times between 2am and 3:30am. But I wanted to go to practice...When I finally willed myself to get in the shower, I felt so cold and achy - you know that achy feeling when any wiff of air hits your skin you want to cry its so painful. I remember finishing my shower and feeling my cold wet hair touch my back - nearly doubled in pain and pathetically made my way to the other room to get ready for practice. I put on layer after layer of clothing - my practice clothes, two long sleeve shirts, and a scarf - and made my way in the cold of night to the yoga shala in the damp drizzle that enveloped Mysore this am.

When I got to the shala and put down my mat I prayed and prayed for a good practice, which today consisted simply of infrequent runs to the toilet. And thank goodness my wish was granted - only ran to the bathroom three times after I lifted my arms for the first time. I did all sun salutations in my long sleeve shirt, and only took it off when I knew I wouldn't shiver any longer. NEVER did build up a sweat today - I was too cold, it was too cold in the shala, and it was too cold outside. And my intense body aches never subsided either - it seemed like it only got worse as I progressed in the second series. My back aches, my tummy aches, my head aches, my legs ache - everything. But I was glad I was there - a test of my will I suppose. I didn't do dropbacks today - I did my three backbends and picked up my mat and made way for the locker room to do closing. I am nearly certain Sharath and Saraswati knew I was paining throughout practice, and neither one of them said anything to me as I walked to the locker room.

After leaving the shala I came home and cancelled my chiropractic appt, and dance class and tried to lay down....It was not surprising however that I didn't get any real rest to speak of....Seems today was the day to contact Krista - everybody and their mother called this morning, and then there was my landlord and the Internet guy that randomly came by and rang the doorbell relentlessly. So at 10am I got up for good and put a little food in the tummy before heading out into town to take care of some much needed errands - like sending some important documents to Sasha.

I came home as soon as humanly possible and have held up here since then...Around 6pm I got another knock on my door - it was my cleaning lady - yeah the one that disappeared a few weeks ago - thought I'd never see her again. She explained, as best she could and as best I could understand, that her husbands mother expired and she had to go out of station (you would think maybe she'd let her clients know but hey that is just me perhaps) - anyway it seems she has just returned and now her father in law is with her and he is ill....thus she cannot come in the mornings but can come in the evenings. I told her that is fine - we shall see if she shows regularly. Ironic though to me that she came back...hmmmm....

So the update on my tummy troubles...not much of one. I've continued to haul ass from the living room, kitchen, or bed to the bathroom all day - but it seems the aches have gone down considerably which is good. I'm praying that I will wake up tomorrow and all will be good as new! Or better :)

Good night all

Weekend headlines

Bangalore was WONDERFUL! I enjoyed being able to get away, even for a very brief time. And I was able to do some shopping ;) which proved to do my soul some good - retail therapy - never really understood it til now! I got a little 'nifty fifty' lens for my camera, which is uber cheap and works extremely well for close up clear shots. I also got a new headset for my ipod b/c my old ones had seen their last days - loved my old ones so much that I taped the cord when it somehow sliced last year but the sound has been so horrid I finally gave in and set out for a replacement. And of course I got a few articles of clothing, couple shirts, pair of pants and a pair of shoes :) - but EVERYTHING was on sale and I do mean everything - when I went to the forum mall in Bangalore they were having some huge sale throughout the mall - and that made me a very happy shopper!

Not only did I enjoy some shopping, but I also enjoyed some amazing food. My friend Athul took me to this lovely restaurant (the name of which escapes me at the moment) for some real fine dining - and we both ate every last crumb on our plates - talk about meal of the century - I really think that lunch will continue to keep me satisfied well into 2009 ;)

You know I used to really loathe going to Bangalore - it was too busy, too noisy, too crowd, too polluted, toooooo much of everything. But as I sat in the rickshaw from my hotel to the bus station to head home, which it took about forty five minutes because the traffic is incredibly, intensely heavy, I remember feeling so amazingly peaceful amid the chaotic traffic, loud beeping of horns, overcrowded roads and streets, and fierce gas fumes. "This is my yoga practice come to life," I thought. "This is what it's all about - right here in front of me!" I felt so calm, serene, so immensely peaceful amidst the craziness that is Bangalore - it was such a liberating feeling. I very happily enjoyed the rest of the rickshaw ride to the bus station thinking I would like very much to come back once more before my trip to Scotland to enjoy some more of the city and all her flare! The bus ride home was also lovely - laid my seat back, popped on my new earphones, and jammed myself to Mysore in the comfort of the Volvo bus - just made sure not to drink anything - only downside to the bus is the lack of toilet ;( - so beware, if you have a wee little bladder, de-hydrate yourself before and during the three hour bus ride from Mysore to Bangalore :-)

Here's the Scoop on Conference:
Sundays conference was insightful as always. Sharath spoke a lot about asana and reviewed many things he has gone over before - but with so many new people in the shala, the transience of people makes it necessary to reiterate certain points often.

- When you do asanas, it is VERY Important to know the names of the asanas you perform and also how many vinyasas are in each asana.
- This is why we do led class, to understand vinyasa and when to inhale and when to exhale
-Breathing is extremely important...It doesn't come automatically, but over time. You must concentrate - your mind should be with your practice
- Alignment is important...It comes properly through PRACTICE - no need to use props for alignment

- Practice makes man perfect
- Sharath stated that Guruji used to say, "Do an asana 1,000 times and then the asana becomes perfect." Thus, the key is in doing the practice...
- If you are able to do all the asanas it doesn't mean you are a perfect yogi. Yoga means to get enlightened - the mind, sense organs - you should control the sense organs
- Asana is the foundation, we start here. It will transform your minds, your thoughts will change; you will start yearning to learn more, what is yoga? Only possible through practice and reading books.

- This is a lifetime study, you MUST keep on studying.

- 1st with asanas we have to purify our body and mind.

- Yoga is Universal, anyone can do regardless of race or religion

- When you leave AYRI often people get distracted if doing self practice - Sharath offered this advice to those of us without teachers at home: "Think that Guruji is behind you, think I am there!"

On Bandhas:
- Jalandhara Bandha is only used when doing pranayama
- Uddiyana and Mula Bandha very important in the practice. Uddiyana bandha is located four inches below the navel; mula bandha is anus control.
- Bandhas will come slowly, after many years of practice
- Utpluthih is a very good asana to practice - helps tremendously in gaining mula bandha control
- Always breathe through your chest - do not breathe through your stomach
- Practice mula bandha even when you are not doing asana

Thank you very much!

bangalore

I’m typing today’s blog entry from a bus en route to Bangalore. Heading their for a quick weekend trip. Wanna visit some friends, do some shopping, and get outta Mysore for a little while. I plan to return Saturday evening sometime…

I really don’t want to even waste much time talking about this mornings practice– it followed in line with the theme of the week - one day good next bad – I kind of figured since yesterday was phenomenal today wouldn’t be – and it was not only not phenomenal it was truly a wretched and almost painful practice. But sometimes that is the way things go.

I was able to finalize my return ticket to America this morning before getting on the bus – and that made me uber happy ;) I called British Airways to confirm the booking I made the other day and pay the fee for changing the dates of my flight. The lady was sweet and helpful and all was taken care of in twelve minutes. When I got off the phone I shouted “wooo hooo” so loud Ganesh smiled at me and said, “Good news?” I said yes as I paid him for the phone call. With a giant smile on my face I said, “That was the best 60 rupees I’ve EVER spent!”

So here’s the Scoop on my flight information (Mama this is for you ;) I’ll leave Bangalore on March 8th, 2009 at 6:45pm to head to Delhi. I’ll leave Delhi at 12:15am on the 9th and arrive in Chicago at 5:25am. I’m scheduled to leave Chicago at 6:40am for Orlando and arrive in O-town at 10:10am but that will likely not happen. The lady from BA warned me about the incredibly short time between flights but I explained I won’t mind having to take the next flight from Chicago to Orlando should I not make it in time – I just wanted to get the flight booked!!! It wouldn’t normally be such a problem but I will be coming in on an international flight, I’ll have to go through customs, collect my luggage, re-check my luggage, and then make my way to the terminal – so I’ll likely take a later flight to Orlando – its all good though because I’ve been able to get this flight booked J an incredible feat because it is six months after my original return flight home (which proved to be a problem in 2006 when I extended my ticket past six months), and because the flight will be taken in a different calendar year (from what I understand I should have paid more for that due to higher tax and gas prices in 2009). Shhhhhhhhhhh!

In other good news, two of my dear friends from college, Jody and Sahil, might fly to meet me in Goa for New Years! If they do I’ll be the happiest girl in India ;) If all goes as planned I’ll spend Halloween and Thanksgiving Edinburgh, my birthday in Amsterdam, Christmas traveling somewhere in India, New Years in Goa, Valentines Day in Mysore, and Easter in Orlando ;) Think I’ve got all the holidays covered…

I’ll leave you for now as I should reach Bangalore in an hour and I’m finding it hard to type because the bus driver is driving like a maniac – but it is also becoming increasingly difficult to concentrate because my need to relieve my bladder is fiercely INTENSE, while my total inability to do so remains the same ;(

Enjoy your weekend! I plan to ;)

heres to thursday

A few things have been consistent this week – I have been without any energy, and my practice has either been awesome or awful…Wednesdays practice was downright blah…but then Thursdays practice was even naughtier than Tuesdays – I know it is quite a lovely thing indeed to have two such rockin practices in one week – thought it was my birthday or something ;) Seriously though I would have to rank Thursdays practice as one of my all time favorites – I got sweatier than a gorilla wearing sweatpants climbing a mountain in the heat of the summer with no sun block ;) – yes that sweaty…I wondered a few times if my sweat was hitting the people around me (I thought that would be gross but really kinda cool cause I’ve never been the giver of the sweat shower, always been on the receiving end ;) And far more than sweaty, my breath was on, bandhas solid, drishti totally spot on, and my mind was – well – nowhere! I was open on all levels but not consumed with anything – just moving through my meditation of asana. Ahhhhhhhh how sweet.

Both Wednesday and Thursday I helped out at Tina’s – took orders, ran food, cleaned tables – felt like I was back in college busting my bum every night at Stonewood trying to make it through school. It was kind of nice to wait tables again….I did say ‘kind of’ - I love Tina to death though so I’d do nearly anything for that woman – she is one of the purest, most real people I know. It has been a crazy week for her because the breakfast café just reopened on Monday, after nearly a month off moving into the new location and getting things set up. On top of that, her husband’s brother had a heart attack so Sanjiv left to be with his family. This left Tina to carry the weight of the breakfast café and lunch and dinner café all by herself!!!
I danced with Sindhu from 3-4pm – and I’m happy to say I learned the last few stanzas of Batu, the item I’ve been working on for so long. By no means have I mastered the item, I have simply learned all the steps. I’ll spend the last few weeks I have with Sindhu working to ‘polish’ my dancing as Sindhu would put it. I feel as though I’ve learned so much about Odissi, but at the same time so little. I’m blown away by professional dancers – their skill, grace, coordination, everything really. I think of this now because I just returned from a dance performance with Sindhu. There was a small performance for classical Indian dance, males and couples – mainly Bartanatum dancers but the final performance was an Odissi dance couple. They were AMAZING – everything about their performance was breathtakingly beautiful. And while I’m partial to Odissi I really do feel that it is the most beautiful, most difficult, most entertaining style of Classical Indian dancing. Watching them was the true highlight of my week. It inspires me to work even harder with dance, to become a better dancer, and to get over my fear of dancing in front of an audience. Not that I aspire to be a professional Odissi dancer or anything– but just become more polished in this little passion of mine

For the love of Shiva!!!!

After two straight hours on the phone with British Airways I have FINALLY changed my return ticket home! I called last week and was on the phone for over an hour and a half - back and forth with American Airlines and British airways because neither airline wanted to take responsibility for my return home - go figure right! So I finally had a nice block of time, during proper business hours, to park myself at Anu's Internet cafe and call BA. I've put it off the last few days b/c of lack of sufficient time, but primarily because it is downright exhausting...Thus it required a great deal of mental preparation on my part because I knew the call would take eons, knew I'd be on hold for most of the call, and I knew it probably wouldn't get resolved today. And if I were a gambler, and had I placed a wager on my predictions, I'd be a damn billionaire right now. Of the two hours I was on the phone, I was on hold a good 75% or more of the call, and while now have a new reservation to leave Bangalore on March 8th of 2009 to head back to Orlando, I must call back in 48 hours to confirm the booking and pay the change ticket fee - of course it would have been far too damn easy to take care of everything today. But hey, I am really grateful that the ticket is reserved and I'm not still scheduled to leave on August 27th.

Oh but I forgot to tell you the funny part! You see when I called a few days back AA said it was a British Airways ticket and BA said it was an AA ticket...In the end I primarily fly via AA on most of my legs, but somehow it is considered a BA ticket. Well BA could not, forever, even find me in their system...Why? Because, as I was to discover, they had purged me from their system. What the F... does that mean you ask? Well, after I flew from America to India someone somewhere out in cyber space somehow deleted my return ticket home. So when I called to change that return ticket it no longer existed...OF COURSE! My goodness why on earth would I have expected BA not to have purged me from their system - after all they have managed to lose my luggage the past two straight years in a row - so I think being purged from their system is the next mandatory step in the horribly shitty service procedure manual.

My absolute favorite though was when the customer service rep figured out that they had purged me from the system and matter of factly said my return ticket had been deleted. There was a long pause...I told her I needed this problem to be fixed so I could change the date of my return to America. She sounded a bit annoyed as she explained that my booking didn't exist any longer and she would have to 're-build' my flight...There was another long pause as if to say, "Sorry we have deleted your return ticket to America, so it is gone now Ms. Shirley - but if you would like to fly home I can help you purchase a new flight!" I calmly said, "Ok well let's rebuild my flight!" And that is when the phone cut off....This after spending an hour and a half haggling with AA and BA about who, indeed, would be helping me with the changes to my ticket; and after finding out that I had been purged from BA's system. That is when I decided fight this fight another day....Today was the day - and I'm happy to say I THINK I won ;-) well almost...

Living Mysore Magazine

The August Issue of Living Mysore Magazine is out! You gotta check out this month's edition ;-)

www.livingmysore.com

Naughty Practice ;-)

I had a NAUGHTY practice this morning :) YUMMY.... Such a nice change from yesterdays practice, which was, by comparison, HORRIBLE! You see yesterday I was tight, tight, tight...and my tummy was feeling icky, and my body felt heavy, and I just didn't enjoy one second on my mat. It was one of those days where you literally cannot wait til practice is over. Luckily that kind of practice happens very rarely, but they do occur - I think they happen every now and then so you can REALLY appreciate all the other days - they make regular days seem great, and great days seem AMAZING! And I always know that before the sunshine (ie today) comes the storm (ie yesterday)...Oh yeah baby...

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are gray, you'll never know dear how much I love you, please don't take my sunshine away" ;) - sorry that was totally in my head just now - had to let the flow of my fingers do the talking.

Here's the scoop on todays naughty practice...I have to first confess that I'm slightly embarrassed to say that I woke up late again today - this is my third time in the two months in Mysore ;( I suck! And it makes things worse that it happened twice just two weeks back - for goodness sake I could at least spread my tardiness out a bit more right...I can't blame my alarm clock this morning - it was totally a Krista problem. I remember it going off and thinking, "I'm getting up I'm getting up..." And then I opened my eyes and looked down at my phone to find out it was 4:33am....FUCK! (sorry but that is exactly what I thought, and said) I threw off my covers and did my usual "I'm late" run around dance, which I believe would be FUNNY if caught on video tape ;) I almost forgot to brush my teeth and wash my face I was in such a mad rush - but I didn't forget my pants ;)

I arrived at the shala at ten past five shala time (so 4:55am real time - which I must say ROCK ON KRISTA for getting up and ready and to the shala in 20 minutes - that is INCREDIBLE!!!! - why thank you :) Anyway....so I put my mat down one spot in front of MY usual spot (yes I have a spot this year but I'm not attached to it - as far as I can tell :) I dropped my things off in the locker room, got on my mat and away I went into Surya Namaskar A land...my the third sun Saluation Sharath came on stage to say our opening mantra - and I knew then that I was gonna have a rockin practice today :)

Everything is a mushy blur of breath and sweat...up until Supta Vajrasana...that's when Sharath came to help me with my Asana...so he sits down on my legs and grabs my hands, looks at me and says, "You were late today!" Well of course I was, and I did deserve being called out on it - I was only surprised and grateful he didn't do it really loud and from half way across the room (he's done that to me in years past man). So I looked up at him and sheepishly whispered, "Yes I was, I'm sorry!" I wasn't about to give him some lame excuse - I slept in man, it happens....Sharath smiled at me and said with a laugh as he started to assist me in the posture, "fine for you!" When he finished helping me in Supta Vajrasana I thanked him and he smiled at me as he got up - I could tell he was in a playful mood today. Thank GOD - if he were in a bad mood I'd of been ground up dog food for having the nerve to walk into the shala late for practice ;) oh happy day!

My phenomenal practice continued straight til the end...I felt like a bendy little baby squirming in and out of asanas - and when it came to Karandavasana, I not only had flexibility, but mad strength - that's right ;-) I attempted the posture my usual ten minutes or so, but the difference today is that I not only got into lotus and rested on my triceps each and every single time, but I also had the energy to really WORK on pushing up each time too. And no I didn't lift up by myself today - that would have been crazy...but I did good work. At one point I heard Sharath call from across the room, "lift up, lift up!" I came down and looked over at him - he was grinning ear to ear, I started laughing...He said again, "lift up!" I said "OK" - and tried, tried again. It's like he thinks I really can just lift up you know - amazing that he has such faith in me...I will one day but that ONE DAY is far far from this day.

I did some good work with Mayurasana too, and then on to backbends where Sharath showed no mercy. He wiped my hands to my knees, and then pulled them up to my quadriceps...And in the next breath, as soon as I straighted my legs, he let go of me and started talking to another student...Now I wasn't worried that I would fall or anything, but I was like, "Sharath, what a way to leave a girl hanging ;)"

I really hope that each and every single one of you has a rockin practice as 'naughty' as mine the next time you get on your mat!

Peace OUT!

Musings

Staring out the front entrance of the Aadithya Adhikari Hospital in Gokulam waiting for my x-rays I began to realize that the end of this trip to Mysore was approaching. That made me sad. Each year I come here with so much gratitude in my heart for the opportunity to spend time in India - and somehow each trip flies by so fast I don't know If stopped long enough each day to truly appreciate any of it. I guess I'm just wishing I could relish the days more...Each one is so special and I find myself so busy with life sometimes that the days pass by before I've had the time to realize they have even begun.

But then it suddenly occurred to me that each day is filled to the brim with the true beatings of my heart - I am not just dreaming but living my dreams. So is it ok then that sometimes living your dreams awake means some moments will pass too quickly to grab with both hands and savor like a cup of warm ginger lemon tea on a cold rainy day?

Hmmmm...I am simply at that point in my journey where I must begin preparing for my next destination. That means this stop will soon be a memory...So it calls for a bit of recollection over the last two months. The biggest challenge for me is always finding the balance within to enjoy the rest of this journey while at the same time preparing for the next. Curious to see how well I accomplish that task this year.

Funny thing our yoga practice...You see I woke up this morning feeling a bit heavy, but in a place of no thought. When I first began my practice I could sense it was gonna be a very rough led second series today. About mid-way through though I found that my body no longer felt heavy, that feeling was replaced with immense feelings of strength in the body and will. The rest of my practice was rock solid. When I laid down in Shavasana I literally sank into the earth beneath me. I felt as though I had been cleansed from the inside out. I enjoyed a restful corpse pose and found it was all I could do to get myself up off the floor after ten minutes of rest. I left the shala feeling exhausted though - the ebb and flow of this mornings practice was extremely telling of how my day has gone - both mentally and physically. I don't ever try to understand how your yoga practice mirrors your life - I just acknowledge that it does ;)

I walked home from the hospital with x-rays in hand and silently observed the vibrant life around me. The green, green grass, the dogs barking, cows mooing, wind blowing, sun shining, children running and playing, the colorful saris, people staring, and my wee little heart beating...I may miss the gorgeous little details of some moments, but I'm definitely not missing this one!

“We don't have an eternity to realize our dreams, only the time we are here.” - Susan Taylor

Scotland

I'm hanging out at my favorite little rock spot in Mysore, Opium...Enjoying some great tunes, checking emails, and buying my plane ticket to Scotland ;) I just purchased my ticket and I couldn't be happier!!!! I leave Mysore on September 1st to make my way to Bangalore, Delhi, London, and then Edinburgh!! Oh yeah baby... As of now I'll be teaching til the 20th or so of December. I'll fly from Edinburgh to Delhi on the 21st of December and travel from Delhi down south making my way back to Mysore sometime around the 3rd of January. Plans are all tentative though - we'll see what the winds blow my way ;)

The last week in Mysore was full on - but quite lovely. And I took full advantage of the moon day on Friday - hope you did too :)

Wishing you all a gorgeous Saturday my friends.

Om Shanti
Krista

Friendship Promises

My Friendship Promises:

1. When you are sad --I will jump on the person who made you sad, Like a spider monkey jacked up on mountain dew.

2. When you are blue -- I will try to dislodge whatever is choking you.

3. When you smile -- I will know you are plotting something that I must be involved in.

4. When you are scared -- I will rag on you about it every chance I get.

5. When you are worried -- I will tell youhorrible stories about how much worse it could be until you quit whining.

6. When you are confused -- I will use little words.

7. When you are sick --Stay away from me until you are well again. I don't want whatever the heck you have.

8. When you fall -- I will point and laugh at your clumsy butt.

9 This is my oath.... I pledge it to the end. "Why?" you may ask, because you are my friend".

Friendship is like peeing your pants, Everyone can see it, But only you can feel the true warmth.